Ipaki
Tompkins Square Park
bayi 538 abantu basekuhlaleni abayincomayo,
Kutheni abantu bendawo beyincoma
When I first showed up here with my cousin in the ’90s, everybody was like, “Who the fuck are these white guys?” We won all the time so they wanted to kill us. Then they liked us. It’s competitive. Tompkins has two fulls and three half courts by Ave A. For me, half court’s better here. When you play 3-on-3, it’s two less people you have to pass to. Tompkins is in the East Village, which has lots of great restaurants. Lucy’s, a dive bar on A, is a great place to grab a beer after a good sweat.
Indawo
East 10th Street
New York, NY
Amacebiso asuka kubantu basekuhlaleni
Riots, Doggie Halloween, skaters, good pick-up hoops game, and the occasional death metal show all happen here.
Nice to sit with a pastry and a coffee. It's just a few blocks from the flat, and it's a bit more grungy than other parks but it's historic in the neighborhood and worth seeing. Great greenmarket here on Sunday mornings.